Sizer School A North Central Charter Essential School

Total Area: 60,500 square feet

Project Budget: $16,000,000

General Contractor: Riverbank Development, LLC

Construction Type: New Construction

The Sizer Charter school needed a permanent facility to meet its educational goals. The developer and designer came together at the beginning of the process to form a collaborative design and costing effort. The selection of the site within an urban area limited the available options and area. A former industrial site was cleaned and improved and a stream was rerouted to yield a buildable area of just over 3 acres. The site constraints led to a 3 story building which suited the grades 7-12 groupings. The classroom wing was located along an east west axis with solar shades on the south façade to provide ample, diffuse light and reduce glare. The lobby stair serves as a place to congregate. Directly across from the main entry is the "heart" of the school, the library. It is designed with a café style area with a view of the lobby to encourage social interaction and group work. A traditional library area that overlooks a serene view of the woods is located in the back.